The fighting led to chairs being thrown at the gathering with some delegates getting injured in the process. The faction that supported Masualle left the venue claiming that processes were not being followed properly

At the end Mabuyane was elected chairperson.

Days after the conclusion of the conference, the disgruntled faction applied for the conference to be stopped, but that application was dismissed.

That led to the another court application being filed to nullify the conference - which was also dismissed.

Supporters of Masualle had pushed for the party's national executive committee (NEC) to remove the provincial executive committee while the dispute over the conference was being be addressed. But the NEC decided to keep the elected provincial leadership in place.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said NEC members have been deployed to the Eastern Cape to meet with both the disgruntled members and provincial leadership to try and find a solution.